1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mattress tilting devices, and more particularly to an improved mattress tilting assembly which enables movement of the mattress from a horizontal position to an inclined position (and back) with a minimum lifting effort.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There is a great need for devices which facilitate the repeated raising and lowering of mattresses, particularly in the home environment by persons of little or limited strength, as for example by a nurse, or an elderly spouse or friend. Among the many conditions which dictate the necessity of a "patient" having an inclined bed surface are physical problems related to or associated with dizziness (vertigo), digestion, hypertension and respiratory (breathing) difficulties. Elevation of the head and upper body in bed is often recommended medically as a means of alleviating physical difficulties associated with these illnesses an achieving greater physical comfort. Devices which facilitate inclination of mattresses are often used by others in the custodial care of individuals at home. Thus, the need for inclinable beds can be viewed as having great significance in the home care environment, so that with or without medical advice, those persons afflicted with the common ailments identified above can achieve the personal relief and comfort desired.
In the home environment, desired degrees of mattress inclination have been achieved in various makeshift ways, including placing objects (e.g., bricks, wooden blocks, books) under the headboard, or positioning similar objects directly under the springs or mattress. The procedure of obtaining the degree of inclination best suited for the "patient" is basically one of trial and error. Once the optimum angular orientation is achieved, the entire bed is usually tilted and is unstable and unsightly. Moreover, many of the known techniques of altering the inclination of the bed/mattress involve heavy lifting and risks of injury to the care-taker.
A number of bed assemblies and mattress constructions have been proposed to overcome the difficulties associated with the above-described methods of attaining the desired mattress inclination to meet the needs of the patient. By and large, the known conventional devices are large, unwieldy, overly complicated, unsightly in appearance and involve production costs and prices beyond the reach of many persons in need of such assemblies. Moreover, these known devices are not adaptable to the different size beds now in use. Still more importantly, some of these known devices require use in place of existing beds, thus dramatically altering the furnishings and room decor and contributing to furniture obsolesence.
There is therefore a long-felt and widespread need for an improved mattress tilting assembly which provides the desired degree of mattress inclination. Such a mattress tilting assembly, to be of greater benefit in the care of ailing patients than known existing bed frame assemblies, should exhibit the following features:
(1) The mattress tilting assembly (with legs removed) should fit into most existing bed frames for single or double size beds, and should be fashioned so as not to disturb the headboard and footboard where present; PA1 (2) The mattress tilting assembly should be easily adjustable from a horizontal position into an inclined position, and should be just as easily returnable to a non-inclined, horizontal position when not in use. PA1 (3) The mattress tilting assembly should be simply yet durably constructed, and be produced and sold at costs which permit purchase of such devices by the many patients who need it but heretofore could not afford it.